What are the critics saying about 'Jem and the Holograms'?

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Photos:What Hollywood's done to your childhood

'Jem' – Then: "Jem," the 1980s cartoon series about battling all-girl rock bands, was a cult hit. Now: "Jem and the Holograms" arrives in theaters Friday, directed by Jon Chu. Jem's not the only animated '80s star who's being brought back to life for a new generation.

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Photos:What Hollywood's done to your childhood

'Jonny Quest' – Then: "Jonny Quest" was much beloved to generations of TV viewers, thanks to many animated reboots since the 1960s (and the popular Adult Swim parody "Venture Bros."). Now: Robert Rodriguez is set to direct a live-action movie.

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Photos:What Hollywood's done to your childhood

Rainbow Brite – Then: More than 30 years ago, Hallmark introduced its color-loving character Rainbow Brite. Now: The young heroine who entertained a generation of kids in the '80s is returning as part of an animated original series on Feeln, an on-demand service.

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Photos:What Hollywood's done to your childhood

'Transformers' – Then: In the '80s, the Transformers were best known as the awesome robots that could turn into cool cars -- and had a TV show to match. Now: Michael Bay has taken the toy line and transformed them into formidable live-action box office giants.

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Photos:What Hollywood's done to your childhood

'G.I. Joe' – Then: Remember playing with American hero G.I. Joe? This was another classic action figure that also came with his own animated cartoon. Now: Everyone who grew up with the toy soldier saw him brought to life with 2009's live-action "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra."

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'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' – Then: The late '80s introduced a cartoon crew of lovable warrior turtles who ate pizza like most kids wish they could (as in all day long, every day of the week). Now: They're mammoth creatures brought to life by CGI that also like to hit on Megan Fox.

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'The Smurfs' – Then: "The Smurfs" was the kind of cartoon that could keep an '80s kid captivated for hours, despite the fact that episodes could include a lesson and always ended the same way, with the nefarious Gargamel defeated once again. Now: They're still small and blue but are more liable to be found running around New York accompanied by Neil Patrick Harris.

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'Alvin and the Chipmunks' – Then: Before getting hooked on "Chip N Dale: Rescue Rangers," most kids in the mid-'80s were huge fans of the chubby-cheeked trio of brothers that starred in "Alvin and the Chipmunks." Now: The chipmunk bros have been upgraded with CGI and now appear at the movies, where they do their best takes on Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

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'Inspector Gadget' – Then: The tales of Penny and her bumbling inspector dad were always good for a laugh and a few "wow" moments at Inspector Gadget's toys. Now: Matthew Broderick played the inspector in 1999's live-action take on the cartoon.

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'Strawberry Shortcake' – Then: Strawberry Shortcake and her group of deliciously named friends were some of the sweetest characters of the '80s. Like Rainbow Brite, the character was spun off a greeting card to include TV movies and toys. Now: You can find the new version of Strawberry Shortcake on Hub's "Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures."

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'My Little Pony' – Then: The My Little Pony line of tiny horses inspired a "collect them all" mentality that was so intense it inspired TV series and a movie. Now: The My Little Pony love has shifted from the toys to Hub's "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic." And instead of a fan base made up primarily of young girls, the new "My Little Pony" series has a really vocal adult male contingent -- a.k.a. "bronies."

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'Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids' – Then: Bill Cosby introduced his imaginative "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" in 1972, but the cartoon was such a staple that it ran all the way up through 1985, making sure more than one generation was very familiar with Fat Albert's iconic introduction. Now: A live-action movie tried to recreate "Fat Albert's" magic in 2004 with Kenan Thompson but didn't succeed.

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"Jem and the Holograms" has been released in theaters

The new movie is an adaptation of the TV series and toys from the 1980s

(CNN)Looks like the "starlight" of "Jem and the Holograms" is distinctly dim.

The new film, based on the pastel-colored '80s animated series about rock singer Jem -- a.k.a. Starlight Music mogul Jerrica Benton -- her band the Holograms and their battles with other groups, has allowed critics to sharpen up their knives.

The movie "seems to be merely tossing ideas into the pot that it thinks might appeal to 9-year-olds," says New York Times critic Neil Genzlinger.

"Its biggest sin, though, is to miss the girl-power allure of the cartoon, in which Jerrica, in addition to being a rock star, was also a businesswoman. Instead, it grabs for the YouTube generation by making Jem a heroine for every kid who has ever been fat-shamed, had parents who don't listen, has been anxious about sexual identity and so on."

"The underlying idea of musicals is that song is an expression, but the generic music of 'Jem And The Holograms' doesn't come from anywhere, and with the exception of that ostensibly career-launching viral video, it never feels like it's being sung or performed by the people on screen," he wrote. "It doesn't help that the music is also boring."

As of Friday morning, the film has a 25% approval rating at reviews aggregator RottenTomatoes.com. Stars include Aubrey Peeples as Jem, Stefanie Scott as Kimber and Aurora Perrineau as Shana, with Molly Ringwald as Aunt Bailey.

The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck summed up the distaste: "Fans of the original series will be outraged, while newcomers will be mystified."

Some fans were already outraged.

Though initially excited to hear that "Jem" was going to be made into a movie -- like "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe" -- aficionados started turning against the project when they saw the trailer.

Some of them are still griping.

#JemTheMovie is going to be the new Phantom Menace to a generation of adults whose childhood memories are now ruined by a bad movie.

The film does have a handful of supporters. Matt Zoller Seitz, writing for RogerEbert.com, offered a lukewarm thumbs-up: "It's not a good film in terms of plot or tonal consistency, and it offers almost nothing in the way of true conflict, but it's always an observant and sincere movie, and occasionally a beautiful and deep one."

This is actually shaping up to be a dismal weekend for new releases. Vin Diesel's "The Last Witch Hunter" is at 18% on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer, "Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension" is at 15%, and "Rock the Kasbah" -- directed by Barry Levinson and starring Bill Murray -- is pulling an abysmal 10%. Which makes "Jem" the surprising standout among major weekend releases.

There are some bright spots: "Steve Jobs," which is expanding this weekend after two weeks of limited play, has an 85% approval from critics. And such films as "The Martian," "Goosebumps" and "Bridge of Spies" aren't going anywhere.